Mama’s groove in memory of Schultzi

Yeates popularly called Schultzi died on April 24 this year after a very long and colourful career. She was a model, actress, dancer and musician.

Schultzi, also called ‘Mama’ later in her career, shot into the limelight in the 70’s as a top model with the elite agency Gavin L B Robinson. She was a great creative energy and loved the arts. In 1979 she published the Trini fashion magazine SCHULTZI to much acclaim.

She retired in the mid-80s and put her “Midas touch” to revamping and expanding her mother’s catering and guesthouse businesses. Many of Schultzi’s friends and much of her family gathered at the Mas Camp to see her peers and acquaintances (Boothman and Zanda) as well as her daughter Z-Star pay homage to this outstanding Trinidadian. They were not allowed to forget the reason they gathered as larger than life size pictures of Schultzi kept flashing on a screen behind the musicians.

London based Z-Star is a soul/jazz singer-songwriter with a fantastic voice who can improvise in and on anything she feels like. She was in her element as she played the drums, harmonica, guitar and sang with all the performers including hostess Naomi Abiola. Michael Boothman kicked off the show as a solo act, his guitar talking to the audience as he played his chart-topping song “Heaven.” Boothman told the audience of his closeness with Schultzi then moved into a song called “Dimples” and ended with John Legend’s “Ordinary People.”

His performance was a fitting tribute to a friend.

Zanda and Friends’ rendition of Kitchener’s “Flag Woman” changed the mood of the Camp; each musician displayed his dexterity on his instrument. Zanda’s version of “Swing Low Sweet Chariot” was in memory of Schultzi, a piece which saw the great keyboardist sing alongside Z-Star.

Throughout the night Z-Star and Naomi kept reminding the audience that Schultzi was in their presence because she just loved a party.

Z-Star performed with Mike Boothman and Zanda giving the audience a taste of his vast musical ability. She was joined on stage by Rapso group 3 Canal for the finale.

Here are some highlights from Schultzi’s dedication from her friends.